


The Final Countdown

by FinalFaith



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: F/M, Spoilers!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-29
Updated: 2016-05-29
Packaged: 2018-07-10 23:12:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7012027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FinalFaith/pseuds/FinalFaith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I felt compelled to write after reading a story were Deacon saves the F!SS from suicide by remaining with Shaun. I was wondering, what would other companions do in the same situation? Danse has always been a favorite of mine, and I wanted to write how I think the situation would be handled by him and the Brotherhood.<br/>Warnings: Obviously contains spoilers for the ending and the Brotherhood of Steel storyline. You’ve been warned, please don’t hate. I am also attempting my very best to maintain a close proximity to the true personalities</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Final Countdown

The Final Countdown  
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“So, mother. What are you doing here? Have you come to gloat? Or is it some strange form of guilt that keeps you here?” Shaun’s glare was unbearable. Nora had never intended for this war to end in destroying her son’s life achievements, but this man before her... He may have been her biological child, but not her SON. And yet, he was.  
Nora dropped to her knees beside her sons bed, reaching out to gently take his hands. “Shaun.. I.. I never wanted to things to end this way. Your father and I love you very much, sixty years of our lives stolen, never able to raise you..” She murmured. Shaun’s eyes were dark with hate, that only barely softened with surprise.  
“I won’t leave you here to die alone, Shaun.. If you won’t come with me, I’ll stay with you.” Nora raised a hand, tapping at the side of her power armor helm to turn on the radio relay to Maxson. “Maxson, get everyone out. This place is going to blow in the next few hours, but I won’t be joining you..” She could her Maxson shouting on the other end, telling her to get off her ass and come back home, to the Prydwen. That was no longer her home, though, she no longer deserved a place there.  
Nora stepped away from Shaun, only briefly, to exit the Paladin power armor she’d inherited from Danse. One little regret tugged at Nora’s heart as she reached out to brush her hand over the Brotherhood of Steel emblem that Danse had so painstakingly placed on the chest piece. She had never had a chance to tell Danse how she really felt.  
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“Its alright, Knight. While I wish Maxson had sent someone else to do his dirty work, I won’t stand in the way of you completing your mission. I must be the example.” That damnable, calm smile was on his face. Nora shook with fury as the paladin simply just accepted his fate!  
Her fingers slacked, the gun dropped from her hands, and Nora collapsed to her knees in tears. “I.. I c-can’t Danse.. I can’t.. You’re the only friend I have in this wasteland.. I’ve lost my husband, my son, I won’t lose the man I..-“ She choked back the words ‘I love’. “My best friend…” Came out instead. Stupid, stupid Nora! It may have been her last chance to say it before she left for the Prydwen.  
Danse stood there, just smiling, that horrible smiling of understanding. He bent, gently taking the gun from where it lay on the floor, and offering it out to her once more. “If you don’t, Knight, leave it for me and I’ll do the jo-“ He didn’t have a chance to finish, Nora’s fist connected with his jaw first.  
“You selfish ass! If you put that bullet in your skull, you can damn well bet the next shot is for me. I can’t live in this world without you, Danse, you taught me to survive. You’re my partner, and I won’t make it without you.” She cried, a sound half caught between a scream and a sob. She knew it wasn’t fair, she was placing all this back on him. Keeping him alive for her selfish love, and needs, and wants. She wouldn’t be able to survive in this world without him.  
“Ah.. I didn’t know you.. felt so strongly. I’ve been blind.. My life is important, it means something to you. To Haylen.” Nora’s heart clenched at the way Danse said the scribe’s name. While she never expected Danse to reciprocate her feelings, it didn’t hurt any less for him to love another woman.  
Danse’s hands were on her shoulders, tugging her up. But Nora didn’t dare look up at him, knowing he’d still have that little smile on his lips that warmed those deep, big brown eyes. Those eyes that drew her in, and overwhelmed her senses until she was doing anything and everything to keep those eyes only on her.  
“Of course it does, Danse.. You saved my life, you gave me a reason to keep searching for my son when I had given up hope.” She raised her hands, moving to take his hands in her own. “We’ll find a way to keep you safe. Give me your holotags, I’ll give them to Maxson and tell him I burned your body. Then.. then get to the border, get out of the Commonwealth..” She couldn’t believe what she was saying, suggesting he leave the Commonwealth. To leave her! But, for his sake, she would.  
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Nora smiled in memory of having foul-mouthed Maxson into letting Danse live. Danse was probably still back at the shelter, making it ‘more livable’ as he’d put it. But, it was time to make sure no one else could get to her. She turned on Shaun’s Terminal, re-activating the security to keep the doors leading to Shaun’s room closed. “Don’t worry Shaun, mommy’s not going anywhere. We’ll go together to see your dad.” She was back at Shaun’s bedside, taking his hands again.  
Shaun looked confused, conflicted, almost.. relieved for a moment. “Mother.. You do not need to have any guilt.. You should just... leave me..!” He hissed. But he didn’t pull away. He didn’t say anything more as Nora raised a hand to smooth back her sons hair.  
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Maxson was in a panic. If he left Paladin Nora to die in there, he’d be failing her. He’d be failing the Brotherhood ethics, and he’d be leaving a hole in the chain of command. He slammed his fist against the radio transmitter, screaming into it. “Paladin Nora, I order you to return to the Prydwen this instant! This whole damn building is about to blow in the next few hours, and so help me, I’ll drag you kicking and screaming if I have to.”  
Proctor Ingram stared in horror as the Elder screamed into the radio, trying to get Paladin Nora to flee with the Institute with them. Why was she staying? It made no sense! Why throw away her entire life, her career, and all the friends she’s made to stay and die in this place? “Elder Maxson.. We have to leave soon. If we don’t, we’ll get trapped in the bomb radius. And who knows how long we can keep the teleporter workin-“  
“That’s it! Proctor, one moment.” Maxson knew he was breaking every damn possible code of ethics that Brotherhood stood for by going to Danse, but at this point, he had little choice. He turned to Ingram, staring her down hard. “Proctor. I need you to send me to these coordinates. Have a vertibird sent after me, and tell them if they don’t fly like a mirelurk queen is on their tail, I’ll make sure that captain Kells has them scrubbing rust off the outside of the ship for a month.”  
Ingram stared, open-mouthed and gaping at the Elder. She knew that letting Nora die here would reflect poorly on the Brotherhood. Afterall, without the Paladin, this would never have been possible, but what on earth could Maxson be planning?  
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Danse sat there, staring at the set of T-60 armor that Nora had left for him. Where she’d gotten it, he had no idea, but he’d be damned if it wasn’t a beautiful sight for him. He was just finishing checking the armor over, and rubbed an arm over his cheek to get off a bit of grease. Well, at least now it’d function.  
The ex-paladin’s mind trailed off, thinking back to the last time he’d seen Nora. She had been in tears, begging for him to live on. She had claimed him to be her best friend. The ex-paladin sighed and rubbed his hand over his face, only smearing the oils there more. Best friends, sure... Danse had top live with it now, he hadn’t said a damn thing to her when she’d flown off in Maxson’s vertibird to go fight the institute. The paladin dropped back to his rear, staring at the ceiling, when the whirr of the elevator sounded. Danse turned his gaze, expecting to see Nora pop out of the elevator with the news the institute had been destroyed. Instead, Maxson stood there, panting as though he’d just run ten miles to get here.  
“Arthur?” Danse murmured, unsure. His hands went into the air, showing himself unarmed. When Arthur made no move to draw his own pistol, the anxiety flittering through his stomach churned harder.  
“No time.. Move out, soldier, Paladin Nora refuses to leave the institute and is intent on remaining there when it goes sky high.” Danse’s once knotted stomach dropped, and anxiety was swept away with horror.


End file.
